Biomedical research is a major component of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's mission and is vital to our commitment to maintain excellence in patient care. At any given time, hundreds of clinical studies are being conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Many are focused on finding ways to prevent, treat and cure cancer.

Cedars-Sinai is currently involved in a wide range of basic and translational cancer-related research, including:

Basic and Translational Research

Basic science research refers to studies done in the laboratory. The objective of these studies is to explore the effects of different substances, such as natural or artificially made plant extracts, on what are thought to cause a disease. If the drugs or procedures appear promising, they are applied to live animals.

Translational research is a relatively new term used when researchers who have success with experiments in the laboratory apply or "translate" the results in humans.

Basic and translational cancer research is ongoing at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Ranked among the top 10 non-university independent hospitals nationwide in terms of research, Cedars-Sinai is currently conducting more than 600 research projects. Our scientists publish more than 200 scientific papers every year in peer-reviewed journals.

The Gene Therapeutics Research Institute

In 2001, Cedars-Sinai's Board of Governors funded the a state-of-the-art program dedicated to clinical translation of leading-edge molecular technology. The Board of Governors Gene Therapeutics Research Institute enhances Cedars-Sinai's current strength in genetics, cell and molecular biology, cell signaling and immunology and will generate direct patient care benefits.

The General Clinical Research Center

The General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at Cedars-Sinai is funded by the National Institutes of Health's Center for Research Resources. Our center includes an outpatient unit that supports protocols with patients undergoing special testing, sample collection, drug/hormone administration and more. It also features a mobile unit for collecting biological samples and a sample-processing laboratory to facilitate collection, handling and triage of samples and clinical data. The GCRC at Cedars-Sinai was launched in 1995 and now supports more than 50 protocols from different departments.

Cedars-Sinai has an efficient Internal Review Board (IRB), which has a proven track record of effective protection of human subjects, and timely review of clinical studies. The Board is directed by experienced doctoral- and master-level biostatisticians, who provide a wide range of research services, including data analysis and reporting, consultation on study design and required sample sizes, and development of databases, data collection forms and quality control procedures.

Outpatient studies may be conducted through more than 2,000 attending physicians affiliated with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The Medical Center admits more than 30,000 patients a year. Our computerized system allows researchers to quickly identify inpatients who may potentially qualify for a clinical study. To ensure patient recruitment, Cedars-Sinai distributes leaflets, protocol booklets and other printed promotional materials, as well as strategically placed news press releases. Our researchers and doctors also promote outpatient clinical study participation through community outreach and cancer screening programs.

Full-time research nurses, data managers and support employees are experienced in ensuring strict compliance to research procedures, full patient compliance and efficient data collection and processing. They are specially trained to handle different types of clinical studies and are well-versed in the diverse tasks involved.